Plan a Visit
Never been before? Here is exactly what happens on a Sunday morning — what to wear, where to park, what your kids will do, and what nobody will ask you to do.
If you have never been here — or it has been a long time — this page is for you. Here is exactly what happens on a Sunday morning at Dalton First, with nothing left vague.
Two services. Pick whichever sounds more like you.
9:30am — Modern Worship. A band leads, the lyrics are on the screens, and nobody will look twice at what you are wearing. If you are not sure where to start, start here.
11:00am — Traditional Worship. Hymns, the choir and the organ, in the Sanctuary. Familiar and unhurried, the way this church has worshipped for generations.
Neither one is the “real” service. They are the same church, the same message and the same welcome, in two different rooms and two different styles. Plenty of people try both before they pick.
Your first Sunday, start to finish
- Park. We are at 500 S Thornton Ave in downtown Dalton. Use the church lot off Thornton Avenue. TODO — confirm: overflow parking and whether any spaces are reserved for visitors.
- Come in. Head for the main doors. Someone will be there to say hello and point you where you are going — you will not have to work it out from signs. TODO — confirm which entrance is best for each service.
- Check in your kids, or don’t. Our nursery takes babies from 8 weeks old. Kids aged 4 through 5th grade have Sweet Sound at 9:30 and Holy Moments Children’s Church at 11:00. Keeping your children with you in worship is just as normal, and nobody will mind the noise.
- Sit anywhere. Nobody owns a pew, whatever you may have heard about old churches.
- Leave, or stay. You will not be asked to stand up, introduce yourself, or fill anything in. If you would like to talk to someone afterwards, we would love that — and if you would rather slip out, that is completely fine too.
The questions people actually ask
What should I wear?
Whatever you own. At 9:30 you will see mostly jeans and t-shirts. At 11:00 you will see more jackets and dresses, and also jeans. Nobody is checking, and nobody will think anything of it either way.
Will I be singled out as a visitor?
No. We will not ask you to stand, raise a hand, wear a badge, or say anything in front of the room. If you want to be noticed, come to the Connection Corner after the service and we will be glad to meet you. If you want to come, worship and go home without speaking to a soul, that is a completely respectable way to visit a church.
Is my child safe in the nursery?
Our babies and children are cared for by a team of paid and volunteer staff on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. TODO — confirm and state plainly: background-check policy, adult-to-child ratios, the check-in and pick-up procedure, and how a parent is reached during a service. Parents are trusting you with their children, so this answer should be the most specific one on the page.
Do I have to give money?
No. An offering is taken during the service, and visitors are not expected to give to it. You are our guest. Giving is something people here choose to do because this is their church home — it is not the price of a seat.
I’m not sure what I believe. Is that a problem?
Not at all. We are a Methodist church, which means we hold to open hearts, open minds and open doors — and we mean the open minds part. Doubt and questions are not something you need to sort out before you show up. Plenty of people here are still working things through.
What about my family’s situation — will we be welcome?
Yes. Whoever you are, wherever you have been, there is a place for you here. That line is on our Our Story page and we mean it literally.
Let us know you’re coming
You are welcome to just turn up — most people do. But if you would like us to look out for you, fill in the form below and someone will meet you at the door.